Creality Ender 3 vs CR-10 – 3D Printer Shootout

The Creality CR-10, in existence for almost three years, continues to be one of the more prominent choices for a budget 3D printer. And when it comes to large print volume printers, this one is still on the list.

The CR-10 has a build volume of 300 x 300 x 400 mm, which makes it substantially larger than the average printer. The frame is built with aluminum to provide stability. Lined with either blue, orange or just plain black, the frame has been a trademark of the Creality CR-10. Moreover, its popularity and success even created imitation products.

Out of the box, the CR-10 comes semi-assembled. In minutes, you can put the frame with brackets and bolts together, and do the wiring for the stepper motors. Make sure, however, to check the pre-installed bolts all around the printer (for example, the bolts concentric to the pulleys along the print bed and Z-axis) and retighten them if necessary.

Like most budget printers, the print bed is leveled manually. A good thing with Creality is that they have updated their bed leveling nuts to larger ones for finer control.

The CR-10’s large print bed can be heated, however, most users say that it takes a long time to heat it to the target temperature. This has been a common problem for CR-10 users, affecting printing temperature-sensitive materials (of course, ABS). The 3D printing community suggests that making enclosures or installing insulation beneath the print bed are recommended as an easy fix.

Once you’re done with assembly and bed leveling, you are ready for your first print! Though you can print anything you want, we suggest printing mods and upgrades for this machine.

Here are the specifications of the CR-10:

Print Area: 300 x 300 x 400mm

Nozzle: 0.4mm

Filament: 1.75mm PLA, ABS, TPU

Max. Print Speed: 100mm/s

Max. Layer Resolution: 0.1mm

Heated Bed: Yes

Connectivity: SD Card, USB

LCD Screen: Yes

Power: Input 110- 220 V, Output 12 V

Upgraded Version: The CR-10S

Since releasing the CR-10, Creality has produced an upgraded version, the CR-10S. The upgrades are not that numerous, but they are noteworthy, especially for a large volume printer.

First, this “S” version includes a filament run-out detection sensor, which is assembled before the extruder motor. This also acts as a guide, preventing the filament from touching the greased z-axis lead screws.

Speaking of which, the CR-10S also made its Z-axis to be supported by two lead screws, one on each side of the Z-axis frame. The original CR-10 has only a single lead screw installed, but the community says the print quality from both of them are not significantly different. Nevertheless, this can be more reassuring for you, especially when printing tall.

Lastly, in case power interruption occurs, the CR-10S can resume an interrupted print without issues.

With an additional $100 to the CR-10’s price, you can have the CR-10S.

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